Centrifugal block-machine.



N. P. ANNIS. GBNTBIFUGAL BLOCK MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE26,1909.

1,073,584. Patented Sept. 23, 1913.

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' N. P. ANNIS. GENTRIFUGAL BLOCK MACHINE. \PPLIOATION FILED JUNE 28,1909.

1,073,584, Patented Sept. 23, 1913.

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NATHANIEL I. ANNIS,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ENTRIFUGAL BLOCK-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 23, 1913.

a li ation tiled June as, 1am. Serial No. 504.568.

To all whom it may concern:

tion is in excess or otherwise. However, it

Be it known that I,NATHAN1EL 1?. Annie, is safe to have the liquidelement in excess a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago,in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Centrifugal Block- Machines,'of wh'ch thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the art of molding plasticmaterial and more especially, to the manufacture of concrete blocks,brick and the like, and has for its primary bject to provide an improvedmethod of molding or compressing the material into commercial form, bycentrifugal force.

A further object is to provide improved means for subjectin the moldscontaining the plastic composi 'on 'to a rapid 'bodily rotary motion,whereby the centrifugal force devjel'o (1, will thoroughly compress andsolidify the substance within the molds.

A. further-object is' to provide a mold composed of a number of sectionswhich are adapted to be closed up and opened out in the operation ofpractical w'orkin To the attainment of these end s and theaccomplishment of other new and useful objects .as will appear; theinvention consists in the features" of'novelty hereinafter more fullydescribed pended claims.

In the preparation of the material from concrete, cement, earth and theli a pr portion of water is used in the C mp sition to hrin the'mixtureinto a roper plastic or semi-fluid condition, to 0mm a homo- 'enous masswhen molded into the desired oirm. Under the ordinary method of moldingconcrete blocks, if an excess of water has been used, 'it will not beevenl expressed and the product wi 1 not he a homogeneous body. If toolitt e of the liquid element is used in the process of mix ng, t ecohesion of the particles will not-he corn;- ple't iiithe molded formand a considerable percentage of the product will he lost bydisintegration in the operation oi'handling and curing.

Practical working has demonstrated that enr 1 area rii aggligfiei qeg aand set forth in the practica workln mac 1 1 e so a much better resu tthan is posslble a er the ordinary arrangements, no matter whether theliquid element of the composiand the composition thoroughly saturated,as the superfluous proportion will be readily expelled and the remainingportion made to more evenly permeate the mass from center to surface.The unit particles are also more evenly and uniformly compressed andpacked into a solid by centrifugal force. It is also possible toregulate the exact period of time that the product shall be subjected tocentrifugal action in securing the best results, both as to the degreeof condensation and coherence and the amount of moisture to be retained.

Figure 1 is a lan of a centrifugal molding machine, em odying theimproved features. Fig. 2 is a part elevation and part section with aportion of the drum element broken away and showing a mold member intransverse section. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on angleline 3-3, Fig. 1. Fig. 41 is a view in perspective of a concrete blockand a pallet on which it rests when removed from the mold. Fig. 5 is aview in perspective of a mold closed and showing a follower-plate inposition to be inserted in the open side thereof. Fig. 6 is a planshowing the mold in the opposite position from that of 5, the moldsections being open.

In the accompanying drawings, t ere is shown the practical embodiment ofa machine for carrying out the method of solidifying a wet mixture bysubjecting the same to the action of centrifugal force. The principalements of this machine comprise a revolu le shaft, a drum B,providedwith a web or diaphragm C, and rigidly mounted on said shaft.and a plurality of sectional molds D. There are a number 0 molds shownand spaced apart in their working position and a detailed description ofone will answer for all, the same reference characters being used oneach mold as a whole and the companion sectional parts. One end of theshaft A -has a step-bparing 7 in a base 8, and prov ded witl'p a101111181 bearing 9 above e driving u ley 10 mounted on the drums-shaftan, winch my t with the motive power necessary to transmi he required ggtig, to h m e- 1 rigi e ck wall 11 ly'secured' to' the nnercircumferential surface of the revoluble drum and the web C. The partscomprise a sectional mold mold back-section 12, the

' lower-plate 18.

a topcompanion end sections 13 and 14,

a folsection 15, a bottom 16, a pallet 17 and The back plate 12 of themold is connected at its upper edge to the corresponding edge of thewall-plate 11 by hinges 19 and 20, the end sections 13 and 14 have ahinged connection with the bottom section 16, which is rigid with theback 12, by means of hinges 21 and 22; the top 15 is hinged to themold-back 12 by hinges 23 and 24. Companion spring catches 25 and 26have one end hinged to the end sections 13 and 14, and when the moldparts are in their closed position the free ends of the catches 25 and26 will close down over the respec. tive ends of thetop section andengage recesses 27, formed therein and retain these parts in theirclosed relation, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The mold back section 12 is. provided in its outer side with a recess 28to receive a folding leg 29 when the mold is in the rotatable This leg1s hinged at its lower end to the mold back by a hinge 30 and when themold is swun up into the position shown in Fig. 3, the gee end of the ledrops down and rests on the web C of the drum and supports the mold inits changed position for the removal of the molded product.

The pallet 17 is loosely supported in place and is removable from themold with the concrete, block resting thereon. The loose follower-plate18 is adapted to be inserted in the open side 32 of the mold and isintended to follow that side of the forming block, as the composition isthrownout- Ward in the process of condensing or packing, and keeps thesame-level and smooth, as the action of centrifugal force has a tendencyto dish out the surface of the block on the side opposite to thedirection in which the plastic mixture is thrown.

In practical working, the molds are charged with the plastic compositionwhen in the position shown in Fig. 3. The molds are then moved down tothe rotating position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5. In this positionthepallet member 17 rests against the back section 12 ofthe mold, asbest shown in Figs. 2 and 5. When the operation of molding is completedand the motion of the machine arrested, the molds are swung up to theposition shown in Fi 3, which brings the back sections 12 and it}pallets into a horizontalposit-ion, and the top sections 15 intoawertical position and which is then are shown in their closed positionshown in Figs. 1 and 2.

opened radially and the follower-(plate 18 taken out, as shown by themol at the right hand of Fig. 3. The pallets and the molded blocksrestin thereon are then removed from the mol in an axial direction.Duplicate pallets are then inserted in the molds, the same recharged andmoved back to their rotatable position, and. so on continuously.

To the left in Fig. 3, the mold'sections position ready to be opened outfor the removal of the product. i

It is obvious that sectional molds may be constructed in many differentways and I therefore do not limit myself to the constructions andarrangement shown, but may make alterations and improvements withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention.

It will be understood that the plastic material must be a thoroughly wetmixture in order to secure the best results. The joints of the moldsections will be open Suficiently to permit of a gradual escape of thesuperfluous liquid element during the operation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A. centrifugalblock-machine having in combination, a rotatable drum, a mold having itsback hinged at its upper edge to the upper edge of the drum, and asupport carried by said back, whereby the mold may be supported in anelevated position to facilitate the removal of the molded back.

' i 2. A centrifugal block-machine havingin combination, a rotatabledrum having a fixed inner wall, a mold having its back hinged at itsupper edge to the u per edge of the fixed inner wall, and a leg hingedto the lower edge of said back, said leg providing a support for oneside of the mold when swung up in elevated position.

3. A centrifugal block-machine having in combination, a rotatable drumhaving a fixed inner wall, a mold -havingits' back liinged'at its up eredge to the upper ed e of the fixed wal 1 being-swung inwardly, anupwardly, and means for supporting said mold in its raised-position.

In mstimony whereof I afix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

NATHANIEL P. ANNIS.

Witnesses:

L. 18%. COUPLAND, Venn. R. Boomer.

,-so' as -to 'ermit the mo d

